Monte's Steak and SeafoodYou should be here. Chef Monte's cooking!2014-05-16T18:15:31Zhttp://www.chefmonte.com/?feed=atomWordPressgreggriffithhttp://www.chefmonte.com/?p=402014-01-05T03:38:24Z2011-12-30T19:13:00ZChef Monte loves to talk about how he makes all of his dishes – except one: His New Orleans Bread Pudding.

One bite, and you can understand why. Yes, it’s sweet, as all good bread pudding is. But there’s more.

Is that brown sugar? Chef Monte furrows his brow. “No – no brown sugar.” Then what is it? “I don’t want to talk about how it’s done.” We get the distinct impression that the best thing to do is to eat it, and enjoy it in silent bliss.

So we do.

A few bites later, we summon the courage to ask about the sauce, and the chef is a little more forthcoming. “It’s a rum-butter sauce,” he says, and though we wait for him to say more about it, he doesn’t.

“Do you like it?” he asks.

We nod, our eyes closed. Yes, we do. We like it. Very, very much.

Chef Monte smiles, and heads back to his kitchen.

Take a look at the lunch and dinner menus, and see why you should be here – Chef Monte’s cooking!

]]>0greggriffithhttp://www.chefmonte.com/?p=332012-10-15T00:29:34Z2011-12-30T18:50:14ZWhat makes people drive 200 miles for a steak?

In the case of Monte’s Voodoo Ribeye, it’s a secret mix of spices, rubbed on a hand-carved and hand-trimmed steak, then blackened and topped with stuffed oysters and shrimp. (Some people say there’s a vegetable medley and Fettucine Alfredo served alongside, and sure enough you can see them right there in the photo.)

“I have some customers who drive from as far away as Memphis for the Voodoo Ribeye,” says Chef Monte in his thick Nigerian accent, and flashing his trademark big grin. “They tell me, ‘don’t close before I get there – I’m on my way!’”

Chef Monte is tight-lipped about the spices that go on the Voodoo Ribeye, but we do know this much: There is garlic, paprika, basil, and… curry powder! “Just a hint,” says Monte. “It’s part of the voodoo. Are you tasting something from the far east? From the Caribbean?”

Whatever part of the world you’re tasting, one thing’s for sure: The Voodoo Ribeye has cast a spell on many of Monte’s loyal customers.

Take a look at the lunch and dinner menus, then come in and taste the magic yourself!

]]>0greggriffithhttp://www.chefmonte.com/?p=292012-10-15T00:30:14Z2011-12-30T18:33:46ZWhen you’re dining at Monte’s, sneak a peek at some of the plates leaving the kitchen. You’ll notice that a lot of them carry Monte’s Stuffed Shrimp appetizer.

There’s a good reason: Monte takes four large, fresh Gulf Shrimp, tops them with his homemade seafood dressing, fresh crab meat, and Imperial sauce (his take on New Orleans remoulade sauce), pops them in the oven until they’re piping hot, then adds his delicious lemon-butter sauce.

The result is a tangy, creamy masterpiece that people can’t get enough of.

Come to think of it, don’t just watch the stuffed shrimp pass you by on the way to other people’s tables… order your own and see what all the fuss is about!

]]>0greggriffithhttp://www.chefmonte.com.php5-21.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/?p=12011-11-28T04:01:59Z2011-11-27T21:34:03ZA native of Nigeria, Chef Monday “Monte” Agho arrived in America over a quarter century ago, and has been a Jackson favorite ever since.

Along with his wife Ellen, Chef Monte and his staff offer a large menu with an emphasis on fresh fish and steaks.